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breaking news

Carl Pavano would love to return to the Miami Marlins

Caught up earlier this afternoon with pitcher Carl Pavano, who said he’d love to return to the Marlins in 2013.

Pavano’s agent, Dave Pepe, has reached out to the Marlins and plans to talk with them next week in Nashville at baseball’s winter meetings. But whether those talks lead to a contract remains to be seen.
Pavano was a big piece of the Marlins’ last championship team in 2003 and he had his best season with them in 2004, but he hasn’t pitched in a major league game since May 26.

He battled a sore shoulder last year and tried to come back before the Minnesota Twins shut him down in August when an MRI showed a bruise on his humerus bone.

Pavano made $8.5 million last year, but posted a 2-5 record and a 6.00 ERA in just 11 starts. His velocity has fallen from an average of 89 mph in 2011 to 86 in 2012.

But Pavano, who turns 37 on Jan. 8, said his shoulder feels good and he’s eager to prove he can still pitch. He will start throwing in two weeks.

“Obviously I had some issues last year, but I’ve been able to put those behind me. I’m looking forward to continuing my workouts and seeing what this off-season brings me,” he said.

If the Marlins deemed him worthy of taking a risk, he could add much-needed veteran leadership to a young starting rotation.

Right now, Miami’s rotation includes right-hander Ricky Nolasco, the franchise’s all time wins leader (76). After that, there are three highly-regarded young pitchers with little experience and a combined 17 career wins — right-handers Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob Turner and Henderson Alvarez.

Pavano lives in Palm Beach Gardens. He knows Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria from their days together with the Montreal Expos in the late 1990s.

And he is still close with new Marlins manager Mike Redmond, who was Pavano’s teammate with the Marlins from 2002-04 and with the Minnesota Twins in 2009.

Pavano said he has spoken to Redmond since the Marlins named him their new manager, offering his congratulations.

Pavano went 33-23 with a 3.64 ERA for the Marlins in 86 games (71 starts) from 2002-04. A 14-year veteran, he had his best season in 2004, going 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA in his free-agent “walk year.”

Pavano said he still follows the Marlins. He joked that he might be one of the few baseball fans in South Florida who agree with Loria’s controversial decision to trade away five veteran players to Toronto earlier this month.

“Money doesn’t solve everything. I think they found that out,” Pavano said.

“I’m down here in Florida and I’m taken back by a lot of the opinions. I think it was a tough lesson on when you do get that money, what you do with it. They have an opportunity to cut some payroll and do things right. They’re taking it on the chin right now but they’ve proven in the past that they can do more with less.”

Signing Redmond might turn out to be the organization’s best move, Pavano said.

“I think the organization needs someone like that, someone who wants to collaborate on decisions, whose ego is not so big that it’s their way or the highway,” Pavano said, referring to former manager Ozzie Guillen.

“Red has a good balance of business and personal. The last couple of years I don’t know that there was a great balance.”